Grade indicator for automotive vehicles



Sept. 9, 1952 w. B. MUELLER 2,609,616

GRADE INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Jan. 4, 1952 Figi E'LgfZ,

u l V55 ig /iq Q4 /BL "L3 INVENTOR WALDEMAQ. B.MUE\.LEQ

Patented Sept. 9, 1952 essi-ce GRADE 'INDICATOR FOR AUT(lll/[GII]IlVEv vVEHICLES Waldemar B. Mueller, Cnagzo,'1ll. l

Applcatien Januar-y 4, 1952, Sera`1}N0.264',8 67

r'Ilhis invention relates to grade indicators for automotive vehicles and more particularly to Aa grade indicating instrument which can be de tachably 'mounted on the vehicle in convenient view ofthe vehicle driver.

It is 'among the 'objects ofthe invention `to'provide an improved grade indicating instrument for an automotive 4vehicle 4which can ybe detachably mounted (on a part of the vehicle, such as the vehicle instrument board, in convenient view oi the vehicle driver `and will continuously indi-cate the grade of the road over which `the vehicle is traveling; which includes self damping features, so that the grade indication Ais notmateriallytafected by vibration and 'movement of the ".ve-

hicle; 4which is of small size and light Weight'and does not protrude into the drivers `compartment cf .the vehicle suiiiciently to cause inconvenience; and which is .simple and durable infconstruction, economical to manufactureJ easy to install, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages Will 'become 'apparent from a consideration of the jfollowingdescription and the appended Vclairnsin conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

'Figure l is .a 'front elevational View vof la grade indicating instrument illustrative of the V'invention; Y

Figure 2 is a side elevational `view of the Kinstrument sh-own in Figure l, :a portion of `an associated Avehicle instrument board being shown in cross section;

Figure 3 is a Across sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure l';

Figure 4 Ais a cross sectional view -on the 'lin-e G44 of Figure 3; rand Figure 5 is a perspective View Aof an assembly constituting an yoperativecompcnentof the instrument.

With continued 'reference to the drawing, vthe instrument comprises a hollow housing, generally il'ldica-ted at Il), and including a pair ol -flat side Walls `I I and I2 vloi substantially sector shape disposed in Yspaced apa-rt and substantially parallel relationship lto each athena substantially straight back Wall I3 extending along one pair of straight edges of the side Walls II 'and I2 and joined along its longitudinal edges to the :corresponding edges of the side wall-s, -a substantialls7 straight bottom Wall I4 extending along thefo'ther pair-oi straight edges `of -theside-walls and jioined along its longitudinal-edges .to the latter, Ttlieba-'ck Wall I3 and bottom wall 1M being disposed substantially perpendicular to each other, and 'an arcuately curved front wall I5 extending along 'the --curved edges fof lthe side walls between vthe distal Aends -of the back Land-"bottom wall-s of the housing. The iront wall lli is provided apertured tabs, V4as indicated at It vand Il, by means of which the front Wall is secured at its *ends to Athe 'back wal-l I3 'and bottom vwall I4 at the distal ends 'of the latter 4and is provi-ded along one longitudinal "edge 4Wit-h perpendicularly extending *tabs I8 bymeans'iofjwhic'hthe vfrontrwall is secured along one Vlongitudi-nal edge 4,te one of the side walls, the front wall being shown secured Nto v'the iside wall "I*I' inthe drawing.v vThe front wall 4has a width somewhat less than the distance between the 4curved edges -of the side Walls 'I I 'and "I2 jprovidinga slot L9 extending longitudinally of the iront Wall between the side Wall. I2 and the adjacent edge ofthe front'wall and a grade .indicating scale .26 sis Aprovidedjon vthe outer surface .of theirontwall t5 and'peirtends longitudinally ofthesl'ot 19.

V'In :the arrangement shownJ `a `degree'scale is illustrated having a VZero 'point substantially Iat the Vmid-'length location nf the front wall and "extending in .opposite 'directions from the zero point 'to indicate both upgrades and downgrades.

It is ;to be 'unc'lersto-o'd, however, that other scales may be lsuibstitutel,for the degree scale illustrated without in anyway exceeding the scope of the invention, For example, i-t is .contemplatedthatthe scale may read 'in terms of the grade in feet lper one hhundred mfeet `of Ygrade length or in a percentage ratio of Athe rise tothe run of the Agrad-e. Y

A Icage 21 of cylindrical shape, having one open end 'and ,one end closed by an end wall 22 is vdis*- posed v'the housing rIll adjacent the `juncture between the bac-k wall I3 and `the bcttom Wall lIII of the housing. y This cage vhas Jat its open end outwardly projecting tabs V.5J-3 which lare Ireceived 'in apertures Jin the side Wal-l 'I2 Iofthe housing :and are bent `or -clinched yover to firm-ly secure lthe cage imposition in the housing.-

The 'cageis recessed at -.open end to `provide a eircumferentially exten-ding slot 24 between the edge of the cage Lat the open end-of the latter and ithe vinner vsurface of the side -wall I2 of the housing. Y

A shaft or axle 25 Aextends through thecage 2I -ccaxially ci the latter and of the l'curvature vof 'the front wall Iii-ofthe housing and is journaled at its ends in apertures provided inthe side walls If-I `and 42 ei the housing Irl?. isleeve receives the shaft 2E between the side 'walls ci `the heusing and extends through-an aperture -iin thelend wall -22 of the cage V2I anda pairof 'vanes`21 and tion on the scale.

to closely receive the ball between the end portions thereof remote from the sleeve 26.

A at arm 3l is secured to the end of the sleeve 26 adjacent the side wall I2 of the housing and has an aperture therein receiving the shaft or axle 25. This arm extends through the slot 24 between the cage and the side wall I2 and through the slot I9 between the front wall I5 and the side wall I2 to the outer side of the front wall I5 and is there provided with a perpendicularly disposed pointer 32 which moves along the scale to indicate the grade of the road over which a vehicle carrying the instrument is traveling. l

A bracket 33 is mounted on the back wall I3 of the cage at the end of the back wall adjacent the bottom wall I4 and includes a leg 34 disposed against and extending along the back wall, a leg extending perpendicularly from the end of the leg 34 adjacent thel bottom wall I4 of the housing, a bight 36 extending perpendicularly upward-from the end of the leg 35 remote from the housing, and a leg 31 extending-from the end of the bight 36 remote-from the leg 35 toward the leg 34 spaced from and substantially parallel to the leg 35.

The legs 35 and 31 and the bight 36 provide a U-shaped clamp for receiving the bottom flange 38 of a vehicle instrument board 39, as illustrated in Figure 2, and an apertured and internally screw threaded boss 40 is provided on the leg 35 with the screw threaded aperture extending through this leg. A thumbscrew 4I is threaded through the apertured boss 48 with one end opposed to the leg 31 of the bracket to clamp the instrument onto the bottom flange 38 of the instrument panel of a vehicle with the housing IB of the instrument projecting rearwardly from the instrument panel and with the front wall I5 of the instrument in front of and in the direct view of the driver of the vehicle.

Friction between the ball 3D and the cylindrical wall of the cage 2I and the vanes 21 and 2B provides a sufficient damping action, so that, while the pointer 32 will move immediately to thefproper position on the scale 20 to indicate the grade of the road on which the vehicle is currently disposed, motions of the vehicle and vibration will not cause the pointer to oscillate or be materially displaced from the proper loca- The pointer will move along the scale to the proper grade indicating location as gravity maintains the ball 30 at the lowest portion of the cylindrical wall of the cage 2I and the grade inclination will be directly indicated at all times. Y

The invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

l. A grade indicating instrument for an automotive vehicle comprising a hollow housing having nat side walls disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship, a substantially straight back wall disposed between and joined along its longitudinal edges to corresponding edges of said side walls, a substantially straight bottom wall joined at one end to said back wall at one end of the latter and disposed between and joined along its longitudinal edges to corresponding edges of said side walls, said back wall and said bottom wall being disposed substantially perpendicular to each other, and an arcuately curved front wall extending between the distal ends of said back and bottom walls and disposed between corresponding edges of said side walls and joined to at least one of the latter, said front wall having a slot extending longitudinally thereof and a gradeindicating scale on the outer side thereof extending along said slot, a cage of cylindrical shape disposed in said housing adjacent the juncture of said back and bottom walls, a shaft extending through said cage coaxially of the latter and of the curvature of said front wall and journaled at its ends in said side wall, said cage having a circumferentially extending slot therein, vanes projecting radially from said shaft in spaced apart relationship to each other in position such that they span the lowest portion of said cage, a ball of heavy material disposed between said vanes and riding on the inner surface of said cage. an arm secured at one end to said vanes and extending through the slots in said cage and said front wall, a pointer on the other end of said arm movable along said grade indicatingv scale, and a bracket secured to said housing and projecting therefrom for mounting the instrument on a vehicle part, such as a vehicle instrument board.

2. A grade indicating instrument comprising a substantially sector Shaped housing having spaced apart and substantially parallel side walls, a front wall arcuately curved longitudinally thereof and provided with a longitudinally extending slot and a grade indicating scale extending along said slot, said housing having a substantially right angular corner opposite said front wall, a cage of cylindrical shape secured in said housing adjacent said right angular corner, a shaft extending through said cage coaxially of' the latter and of the curvature of said front wall, vanes projecting from said shaft within said cage and spaced apart at their distal ends, a ball of heavy material disposed between said vanes and riding on the inner surface of said cage, said cage having a circumferentially extending slot therein, an arm secured at one end to said vanes coaxially lof said shaft and extending through the slots in said cage and said front wall, a pointer on the other end of said arm movable along said scale upon movement of saidy ball relative to said cage, and a mounting bracket secured to said housing and projecting therefrom.

3. A grade indicating instrument comprising a substantially sector shaped housing having a front wall arcuately curved longitudinally thereof and provided with a grade indicating scale extending longitudinally thereof, said housing having a substantially right angular corner opposite said front wall, a cage of cylindrical shape mounted in said housing adjacent said right angular corner, a shaft extending through said cage coaxially of the latter and of the curvature of said front wall, angularly spaced apart vanes projecting radially from said shaft within said cage, a ball of heavy material disposed between said vanes and riding on the inner surface of said cage, an arm mounted on said shaft coaxially of the latter and movable with said vanes about the axis of said shaft, and a pointer on the other end of said arm movable along said scale.

WALDEMAR B. MUELLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Sperry Jan. 25, 1921 Cantaluppi Nov. 5, 1935 Fanger May 30, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Nov. 29, 1927 

